Minister of Works and Transport Fitzgerald Hinds yesterday accused the former People’s Partnership (PP) government of securing a US$120 million loan to solve widespread flooding in the capital city which was never put to use.
Hinds said instead of executing a comprehensive flood mitigation plan for Port-of-Spain, which the PP promised, they racked up a “US$700,000 commitment fee on that loan.”
While no work was undertaken, Hinds said, the project execution unit appointed was paid on a monthly basis.
Up to recently, Hinds said, the unit had been paid.
Hinds was addressing members of the media at a news conference at Saddle Hill Grounds, Maraval, where he spoke about his ministry’s teaming up with the country’s 14 municipal corporations to desilt, degrass and clear watercourses to prevent flooding at the start of the rainy season.
Questioned on what were his ministry’s plans to reduce frequent flooding in the city, Hinds criticised the PP for entering into a secured Inter-American Development Bank loan of US$120 million to deal with the problem, which was never used.
“They sat on it like a hen on golden eggs. They did absolutely nothing with it. Except, I can tell you accurately today that the project execution unit that was appointed to deal with it began to be paid salaries on a monthly basis. I can also tell you that Trinidad and Tobago has spent thus far about US$700,000 in commitment fees on that loan, not yet used.”
Having visited the bank last week, Hinds said his ministry was trying “to administer that project now. We are engaged as we speak in reactivating that project and to get it going.”
The mitigation plan, Hinds said, was engineered by WSP Global, formerly Genivar Inc, which now has to be tweaked.
In addition, Hinds said, installation of water pumps will also be put into the plan.
“And when that is done we would be ready, subject to the administrative issues around the loan to proceed with the work in Port-of-Spain. I look forward to it with great relish and great anticipation because these eyes too have seen the horror, trauma, suffering and horrific appearance of our capital city in the circumstance that I have described them.”
Asked when this will be unveiled, Hinds did not respond.
Hinds said whenever there is a heavy shower, the water from the northern range would settle in Port-of-Spain and when the sea level rises, it creates a basin.
He said what contributes to the deluge was unwanted items, which citizens dispose of in water courses.
“I am pleading with citizens to desist from throwing unwanted items in water courses since it can have a debilitating effect on marine and human lives. Trinidad and Tobago, this is not a joke. We have seen in India, Pakistan and all over the world when the rains come and there is excessive floodings, lives are at stake.”
Next week, Hinds said, the Mamoral River will be desilted and cleaned after six years of neglect.
“It would not surprise me in this country if monies have been paid to clear that (river) several times over.”
With local government reform on its way, Hinds said each corporation chairman would be able to make their own laws with regards to littering.
“We have a problem in the nation with enforcement to solve.”
Main rivers to be cleared:
n San Juan
n East Dry River
n St Joseph
n Caparo
n Mamoral